By Mona Eltahawy
Not once in my 43 years have I thought that I'd see an Arab leader toppled by his people. It is nothing short of poetic justice that it was neither Islamists nor invasion-in-the-name-of-democracy that sent the waters rushing onto Ben Ali's ship but, rather, the youth of his country.
Read more at the Washington Post
Tunisia gets a change of Zine
by Globe and Mail Editorial
The first successful overthrow of an Arab leader by his own people since the colonial era ended is a warning sign to many of the region’s autocrats that their grip on power is no longer assured.
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Tunisia Seethesby New York Times Editorial
With as many as 30 people dead and the country in an uproar, criticism has been pouring in from Washington, the European Union and the United Nations. France, Mr. Ben Ali’s most influential ally, has so far remained shamefully silent.
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Ouster of Tunisia president: An opportunity for Arab autocrats to respond to the people
by Christian Science Monitor Editorial Board
The demonstrations were sparked in December when an educated but typically jobless young man killed himself after authorities confiscated fruits and vegetables he was selling without a permit. As one witness told Reuters, however, “It is not just about unemployment any more. It’s about freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, all the freedoms.”
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Is Tunisia Next?
by Elliott Abrams
What’s next? The regime has no real alternatives except members of Ben Ali’s family, a solution unlikely to satisfy Tunisian society. While his wife is said to view herself as a successor, and this might have worked ten years ago, the time for an Argentine-like hand-off to the ruler’s wife is over.
Read more at the Council on Foreign Relations
Tunisia: Dependence on Europe Fuels Unemployment Crisis and Protests
by Lahcen Achy
Even as the level of education among job seekers in Tunisia has improved, the government has failed to make policies guaranteeing enough job creation to absorb new entrants to the labor market, especially among those with university degrees.
Read more at the CATO Institute
Tunisia: Lessons of Authoritarian Collapseby Thomas Carother
With democracy’s spread having slowed over the last decade we've gotten out of the habit of receiving such news and have forgotten some of the basic lessons of authoritarian collapse. The fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia usefully reminds us of them.
Reade more at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Obama's 'Arab Spring'?
by Marc Lynch
Yesterday I noted the spread of seemingly unrelated protests and clashes through a diverse array of Arab states -- Tunisia, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt. Last night, protests spread to Algeria, partly in response to rising prices on basic food items but more deeply by the same combination of economic desperation, fury over perceived corruption, and a blocked political order.
Read more at the Foreign Policy
